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In the two orders of things- those whose existence is that of
process and those in whom it is Authentic Being- there is a
variety of possible relation to Cause.
Cause might conceivably underly all the entities in both orders
or none in either. It might underly some, only, in each order,
the others being causeless. It might, again, underly the Realm of
Process universally while in the Realm of Authentic Existence
some things were caused, others not, or all were causeless.
Conceivably, on the other hand, the Authentic Existents are all
caused while in the Realm of Process some things are caused and
others not, or all are causeless.
Now, to begin with the Eternal Existents:
The Firsts among these, by the fact that they are Firsts, cannot
be referred to outside Causes; but all such as depend upon those
Firsts may be admitted to derive their Being from them.
And in all cases the Act may be referred to the Essence [as its
cause], for their Essence consists, precisely, in giving forth an
appropriate Act.
As for Things of Process- or for Eternal Existents whose Act is
not eternally invariable- we must hold that these are due to
Cause; Causelessness is quite inadmissible; we can make no place
here for unwarranted "slantings," for sudden movement of bodies
apart from any initiating power, for precipitate spurts in a soul
with nothing to drive it into the new course of action. Such
causelessness would bind the Soul under an even sterner
compulsion, no longer master of itself, but at the mercy of
movements apart from will and cause. Something willed- within
itself or without- something desired, must lead it to action;
without motive it can have no motion.
On the assumption that all happens by Cause, it is easy to
discover the nearest determinants of any particular act or state
and to trace it plainly to them.
The cause of a visit to the centre of affairs will be that one
thinks it necessary to see some person or to receive a debt, or,
in a word, that one has some definite motive or impulse confirmed
by a judgement of expediency. Sometimes a condition may be
referred to the arts, the recovery of health for instance to
medical science and the doctor. Wealth has for its cause the
discovery of a treasure or the receipt of a gift, or the earning
of money by manual or intellectual labour. The child is traced to
the father as its Cause and perhaps to a chain of favourable
outside circumstances such as a particular diet or, more
immediately, a special organic aptitude or a wife apt to
childbirth.
And the general cause of all is Nature.
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